EURO 2012
Polandia - Ukraina
Polandia
Yunani
Rusia
Republik Ceko
Belanda
Denmark
Jerman
Portugal
Spanyol
Italia
Republik Irlandia
Kroasia
Ukraina
Swedia
Prancis
Inggris
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands, Oranje cruised into his third final
7:09 PM
The Dutch looked short of ideas for long periods but still had the quality in front of goal when it mattered to set up an all-European final against Euro 2008 champions Spain or Germany in Johannesburg on Sunday.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst's spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan's long-range shot.
After Giovanni van Bronckhorst's spectacular opener, Uruguay were gifted an equaliser when goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg failed to deal with Diego Forlan's long-range shot.
But Sneijder and Robben again made the difference for the two-time runners-up, who were left hanging on at the end following Maxi Pereira's injury-time reply. However, the Dutch held firm to make sure of their progress.
It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.
Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder's cross straight at him.
The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes
The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 35-yard shot into the top corner.
But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.
Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie's through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.
Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira's bouncing shot after 36 minutes.
That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.
Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan's swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.
The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira's curling shot off the line.
But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.
Van Marwijk's side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.
And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder's shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.
In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt's cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.
Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.
Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez's team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk's side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.
It was a dramatic end to an often tepid match as Uruguay, who were without the suspended Luis Suarez following his goal-line handball that helped them past Ghana in the quarter-finals, only showed real attacking intent when they fell two goals behind.
Cheered on by an army of Oranje fans, Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk saw his side struggle to find their feet in the early stages, with their only sight of goal being wasted when Dirk Kuyt fired wastefully over after keeper Fernando Muslera had punched Sneijder's cross straight at him.
The South Americans, in their first semi-final for 30 years, were defending in depth and in numbers but that tactic did not help them when Van Bronkhorst broke the deadlock after 18 minutes
The ball was fed out to the left-flank and the veteran Feyenoord left-back had time to look up and use his trusty left foot to spank an unstoppable 35-yard shot into the top corner.
But going ahead did not help the Dutch work out how to break down a well-organised Uruguay defence, and they also seemed unwilling to commit players forward in search of more goals.
Martin Caceres had to hold off Robben as he ran on to Robin van Persie's through-ball, but that was the nearest the Netherlands came to extending their lead.
Uruguay, in the absence of the prolific Suarez, were faring little better at the other end and Stekelenburg did not have a save to make until he had to deal with Alvaro Pereira's bouncing shot after 36 minutes.
That all changed before half-time, however, and it was the Dutch goalkeeper at fault as Forlan notched his fourth goal in six games in the finals in South Africa.
Stekelenburg had a clear view of Forlan's swerving strike from 25 yards out and got a hand to the ball, but was still unable to keep it out.
The Ajax keeper had another nervous moment at the start of the second half when he beat Edinson Cavani to a through ball but failed to make a proper clearance and Van Bronkhorst had to clear Alvaro Pereira's curling shot off the line.
But the game quickly got bogged down in midfield and there were few chances to speak of until Forlan brought a much better stop from Stekelenburg with a dipping free-kick.
The Netherlands had been disappointing up to that point but showed again how they do not have to play well to win games in the tournament with a two-goal burst in the space of three minutes that was enough to give them victory.
Van Marwijk's side showed signs of life when Van Persie latched on to a long ball over the top and played in substitute Rafael van der Vaart, who saw his low shot pushed away before Robben fired the rebound over.
And they were back in the lead after 70 minutes when Sneijder's shot hit the luckless Maxi Pereira and span in off a post, with Van Persie trying but failing to get a touch to help it on its way.
In their next attack, Robben made it 3-1, escaping the attentions of Diego Godin to meet Dirk Kuyt's cross and plant a firm header into the bottom corner.
Uruguay looked exhausted and Robben could have added a fourth when he burst forward on to a Van Persie flick late on, but got his attempted chip all wrong.
Instead the Dutch faced a frantic finale when, in the 92nd minute, Maxi Pereira ran on to a quickly taken free-kick, turned Eljero Ejia and curled a precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez's team had time to launch a few balls into the Dutch box but van Marwijk's side survived and it is they who will go forward hoping it will be third-time lucky for them in a final following their defeats in 1974 and 1978.
Uruguay
|
2-3 |
|
FT |
| Forlan, 41 Pereira, 90+2 |
(HT 1-1) | Van Bronckhorst, 18 Sneijder, 70 Robben, 73 |
|
Team |
|||
Uruguay
|
Netherlands
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Netherlands
(21 S Fernandez, 84)Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Toure: I'm sure I'll return to Barcelona
1:56 PM
City paid Barça around £27.5m for the defensive midfielder, who will reportedly become the highest-paid player in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Toure, who will link up with his brother Kolo at Eastlands, revealed the decision to leave Camp Nou was a difficult one.
"Barça
is the team of my whole life. I'm sure I'll go back one day." New Manchester City signing Yaya Toure
"The decision to leave was complicated because Barça is the team of my whole life," he told radio station RAC-1. "It was a sad decision because everybody wants to come to Barça and I have had to leave, but not playing has been difficult and it wouldn't have been normal to just sit on the bench and pick up the money."
"I wanted to bring more joy to the fans, but life is like that. Barça is a great club with the best players in the world, but I have played less in this third season, which for me has been difficult."
Nevertheless, Toure hopes to return to Barcelona one day. "I don't feel that I'm away from Barça and I'm sure I'll go back one day," he said.
Fabio Cannavaro has admitted the offer to join Al Ahli
1:51 PM
"I accepted Al Ahli's offer mainly because it was the best offer for me and my family," Cannavaro said. "I played in Italy and Spain for 20 years. I needed a change, so I made it.
"I'm happy to join Al Ahli as this is a new journey in my career and I'm looking forward to it. The UAE is a nice country. I hope that I can end my career with Al Ahli, who are investing in football for the future. I have met my new team-mates and they showed their desire to win, which will be our main motivation."
Al Ahli have turned to the former Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid defender in a bid to improve on a disappointing season last term. They finished eighth in the UAE League and exited the AFC Champions League at the first hurdle after finishing bottom of Group D.
"I needed a
change, so I made it. I'm happy to join Al Ahli as this is a new
journey in my career and I'm looking forward to it." Fabio Cannavaro
Cannavaro, Italy's most-capped player, also hopes to play a prominent role in developing the club's young talent. "I have followed the UAE League and I saw Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League," he said.
"I hope that we will put all our efforts into getting better results and good achievements next year. I came here to use all my experience and help the young players."
Al Ahli executive manager Ahmad Khalifa Hammad was delighted with the Italian's capture. "Cannavaro will join us for two seasons and he will be a big addition for us," he said. "Fabio will be the new captain of the team because he has a strong personality on the pitch, and he has good leadership and experience."
Hammad also confirmed former Leeds United and Aston Villa manager David O'Leary will be presented as the club's new coach in the coming days. "We will also announce the official signing of coach David O'Leary in an official press conference," he added. "We hope that we can build a good team to compete in the new season."
Hull wave goodbye to Brazilian striker Geovanni
1:45 PM
Brazilian
striker Geovanni has left Hull City after his contract was terminated
by mutual consent, the English second-tier club have announced.
Hull were relegated from the Premier League at
the end of last season and are consequently having to remove the biggest
wage-earners from the playing staff at the KC Stadium.
Geovanni joined Hull on a free transfer from
Manchester City before the start of the 2008/09 season and made 65
appearances, scoring 13 goals. He still had a year remaining on his
contract.
He is assured of a place in
Hull history having scored the club's first top-flight goal in the
opening day 2-1 win over Fulham in August 2008.
Geovanni was also on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win at Arsenal and
fired the winner against Tottenham during the same season.
Greek clubs AEK Athens and Panathinaikos have
both been linked with a move for the 30-year-old.
Bordeaux priced out of Remy race
1:43 PM
Bordeaux
president Jean-Louis Triaud says his side will not be able to afford to
buy striker Loic Remy after Nice turned down a €13.5 million offer from
West Ham United.
Triaud, who is
currently on the look-out for a replacement for Marouane Chamakh after
the forward joined Arsenal, admits Les Girondins do not have
the financial firepower to match the English Premier League club's bid.
He said: "They refused to accept €13.5 million
from West Ham, I do not see how we could make a proposal that pleased
them. I do not say it's too expensive, I do not know. In any case, it is
not within our means."
Rangers Striker Kris Boyd signs with Middlesbrough
1:39 PM
The 26-year-old turned down a new contract at Scottish Premier
League champions Rangers as well as a big-money offer from Turkish side
Kayserispor in order to make the move.
Boyd
is the recond goalscorer in SPL history with 164 goals including 101 in
118 league starts for Rangers following his switch from Kilmarnock in
January 2006. He has also scored seven goals in 16 appearances for
Scotland.
Middlesbrough were relegated
from the Premier League in 2009 and finished 11th in the second-tier
Championship last season.
Monday, July 5, 2010
David Villa scored to bring Spain into the semi-finals
2:07 PM
Villa's goal after 82 minutes - his fifth of the tournament- struck one post, rolled across the goal-line and hit the other, before finally nestling in the net and came seconds after substitute Pedro had also hit the woodwork.
It was heartbreaking for a Paraguay side that had never reached the quarter-final stage before, and who earlier wasted a superb chance to take the lead when Oscar Cardozo's spot-kick was saved by Iker Casillas.
It was heartbreaking for a Paraguay side that had never reached the quarter-final stage before, and who earlier wasted a superb chance to take the lead when Oscar Cardozo's spot-kick was saved by Iker Casillas.
That came after 57 minutes - and before the tie reached the hour mark Spain had also been awarded a penalty by referee Carlos Batres.
In a truly remarkable passage of play, Xabi Alonso scored his first effort but the retake, which came because Spanish players encroached into the area, was saved.
Goalkeeper Justo Villar then appeared to foul Cesc Fabregas as he scrambled to collect the rebound but a third penalty award was not forthcoming, while Sergio Ramos pounced on the loose ball but his shot was blocked on the line.
In truth, it was a brief flurry of excitement that was largely out of kilter during a game that saw relatively few other opportunities.
Spain may have reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time - their fourth place in 1950 was after a round-robin stage - but they will surely need to improve if they are to defeat in-form Germany in Durban on Wednesday.
Their famed passing game was largely absent, while the out-of-form Fernando Torres was withdrawn after 56 minutes.
Paraguay started at a decent pace, certainly settling much quicker than Spain, and created some promising openings.
Jonathan Santana forced a saved with a low strike inside 60 seconds, while Spain consistently struggled to deal with crosses from wide areas.
Sunderland-bound Cristian Riveros headed wide, while Antolin Alcaraz and Santana both peeled away from their markers with far too much ease but could not quite make the decisive contact.
Nelson Valdez, one of six changes from the side that defeated Japan in Pretoria, slotted home from close range shortly before the break but the effort was ruled out by a marginal offside decision.
The Borussia Dortmund forward certainly appeared to be onside but there was a doubt over Cardozo, who attempted but failed to head the cross that eventually fell to Valdez.
At one point Spain looked as though they were starting to gain a measure of control in midfield but Paraguay, who would have topped South America's World Cup qualifying group if they had won their final game, slowed the match down at every opportunity.
Gerardo Martino's team also worked extremely hard to thwart Spain's passing game and looked extremely dangerous on the counter, with the lively Valdez wasting a decent position with an atrocious shot just before the interval after a sharp break.
Xavi went close for Spain with one piece of brilliance, deftly flicking the ball up with one touch before shooting on the turn in a manner reminiscent of a goal Thierry Henry once scored for Arsenal.
However, the midfielder's shot flew narrowly over and it was a slightly disjointed and frustrated Spain that left the field to regroup at the break.
The tie exploded into life with the back-to-back penalties and all the shenanigans that surrounded them.
There was little doubt that Gerard Pique fouled Cardozo for the first when he clung onto the Benfica forward, but the Paraguayan's subsequent penalty was struck at a good height for Casillas.
From the very next attack Alcaraz was adjudged to have brought down Villa, with Alonso comfortably slotting home first time around.
Replays did suggest referee Batres was correct to order a retake - and the prayers of Valdez, who was on his knees just outside the penalty box, were answered when Alonso saw his effort saved and Spain failed to score.
But there was nothing Valdez could do to prevent the prolific Villa from equalling Emilio Butragueno's Spanish record of five goals at a World Cup finals, which was set in 1986.
Villar saved from Iniesta shortly after Spain's goal, but Paraguay did have a chance to equalise late on only for Casillas to block substitute Roque Santa Cruz's effort.
The Paraguay keeper denied Villa as Spain threatened on the break in the final seconds but a second goal would have been harsh on the South American side, who conceded just twice in their five games in South Africa.
In a truly remarkable passage of play, Xabi Alonso scored his first effort but the retake, which came because Spanish players encroached into the area, was saved.
Goalkeeper Justo Villar then appeared to foul Cesc Fabregas as he scrambled to collect the rebound but a third penalty award was not forthcoming, while Sergio Ramos pounced on the loose ball but his shot was blocked on the line.
In truth, it was a brief flurry of excitement that was largely out of kilter during a game that saw relatively few other opportunities.
Spain may have reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time - their fourth place in 1950 was after a round-robin stage - but they will surely need to improve if they are to defeat in-form Germany in Durban on Wednesday.
Their famed passing game was largely absent, while the out-of-form Fernando Torres was withdrawn after 56 minutes.
Paraguay started at a decent pace, certainly settling much quicker than Spain, and created some promising openings.
Jonathan Santana forced a saved with a low strike inside 60 seconds, while Spain consistently struggled to deal with crosses from wide areas.
Sunderland-bound Cristian Riveros headed wide, while Antolin Alcaraz and Santana both peeled away from their markers with far too much ease but could not quite make the decisive contact.
Nelson Valdez, one of six changes from the side that defeated Japan in Pretoria, slotted home from close range shortly before the break but the effort was ruled out by a marginal offside decision.
The Borussia Dortmund forward certainly appeared to be onside but there was a doubt over Cardozo, who attempted but failed to head the cross that eventually fell to Valdez.
At one point Spain looked as though they were starting to gain a measure of control in midfield but Paraguay, who would have topped South America's World Cup qualifying group if they had won their final game, slowed the match down at every opportunity.
Gerardo Martino's team also worked extremely hard to thwart Spain's passing game and looked extremely dangerous on the counter, with the lively Valdez wasting a decent position with an atrocious shot just before the interval after a sharp break.
Xavi went close for Spain with one piece of brilliance, deftly flicking the ball up with one touch before shooting on the turn in a manner reminiscent of a goal Thierry Henry once scored for Arsenal.
However, the midfielder's shot flew narrowly over and it was a slightly disjointed and frustrated Spain that left the field to regroup at the break.
The tie exploded into life with the back-to-back penalties and all the shenanigans that surrounded them.
There was little doubt that Gerard Pique fouled Cardozo for the first when he clung onto the Benfica forward, but the Paraguayan's subsequent penalty was struck at a good height for Casillas.
From the very next attack Alcaraz was adjudged to have brought down Villa, with Alonso comfortably slotting home first time around.
Replays did suggest referee Batres was correct to order a retake - and the prayers of Valdez, who was on his knees just outside the penalty box, were answered when Alonso saw his effort saved and Spain failed to score.
But there was nothing Valdez could do to prevent the prolific Villa from equalling Emilio Butragueno's Spanish record of five goals at a World Cup finals, which was set in 1986.
Villar saved from Iniesta shortly after Spain's goal, but Paraguay did have a chance to equalise late on only for Casillas to block substitute Roque Santa Cruz's effort.
The Paraguay keeper denied Villa as Spain threatened on the break in the final seconds but a second goal would have been harsh on the South American side, who conceded just twice in their five games in South Africa.
|
0-1 |
Spain
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) | Villa, 82 | ||
Team |
|||
Paraguay
|
Spain
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Paraguay
Germany rampage, butcher Argentina 4-0
2:05 PM
Inspired by Bastian Schweinsteiger and two-goal hero Miroslav Klose, Joachim Loew's side scored four times for the third game at this tournament in what was a devastating attacking display.
Klose found the net only three times in the Bundesliga all season in a miserable campaign for Bayern Munich but he has now beaten that tally at this tournament, as well as moving to within a goal of Ronaldo, who with 15 goals, is the all-time highest scorer at World Cup finals.
Klose found the net only three times in the Bundesliga all season in a miserable campaign for Bayern Munich but he has now beaten that tally at this tournament, as well as moving to within a goal of Ronaldo, who with 15 goals, is the all-time highest scorer at World Cup finals.
After Thomas Mueller's early header, Germany coped with everything Argentina could throw at them before finishing off Maradona's men with a lethal late burst.
Following Brazil's self-destruction against the Dutch on Friday, Germany became the latest European team to see off a highly fancied South American side, and they move into the last four looking in good shape to become world champions for the first time since 1990.
At times this win was reminiscent of the way Germany had ripped through England's backline in the second round a week ago, with Argentina caught out by their speed and incisiveness on the counter-attack as they chased the game.
The only cloud on Germany's horizon is that the impressive Mueller picked up a booking that means he will miss the last-four clash with Paraguay or Spain, but Loew still has much to savour from this match.
Mueller opened the scoring after only three minutes when Schweinsteiger swung in a free-kick from the left and he escaped the Argentina defence to beat Sergio Romero with a downward header that the keeper got a leg to but could not keep out.
Klose, who also won his 100th cap for Germany, should have made it 2-0 when Mueller broke into the area down the right and squared for him in front of goal. But he fired wastefully over, not that it appeared to matter much at that point.
With Lionel Messi finding it difficult to impose himself on the game thanks to the close attention of Schweinsteiger, Argentina's response was largely limited to shots from distance.
They did improve as half-time approached and Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain both forced Manuel Neuer into low saves, but Germany continued to threaten on the break.
Only after the interval did Argentina manage a spell of sustained pressure, and they threatened almost immediately when Di Maria let fly from outside the box and saw the ball fizz narrowly wide.
For a good 20 minutes, Maradona's men dominated possession and Carlos Tevez had a shot blocked superbly blocked by Per Mertesacker while Germany keeper Neuer was kept busy as shots peppered his goal.
But, after wave after wave of Argentina attacks had been frustrated, Loew's side hit back with a lethal sucker-punch to seal victory with two near-identical goals in quick succession.
First, Podolski burst into the box down the left and squared to give Klose the easiest of tap-ins to make it 2-0, with the striker walking the ball over the line.
Then, with Argentina still rocking, Schweinsteiger weaved his way down the same flank and crossed for Arne Freidrich to bundle the ball in at the near post.
The game was up for the South American side, and neither the jaded Messi on the pitch nor Maradona off it could lift them for any sort of belated response.
Fittingly, the final word went to Klose, who volleyed home Germany's fourth from Mesut Oezil's cross in the last minute - his 14th World Cup goal - after the imperious Schweinsteiger had brought the ball forward again.
Following Brazil's self-destruction against the Dutch on Friday, Germany became the latest European team to see off a highly fancied South American side, and they move into the last four looking in good shape to become world champions for the first time since 1990.
At times this win was reminiscent of the way Germany had ripped through England's backline in the second round a week ago, with Argentina caught out by their speed and incisiveness on the counter-attack as they chased the game.
The only cloud on Germany's horizon is that the impressive Mueller picked up a booking that means he will miss the last-four clash with Paraguay or Spain, but Loew still has much to savour from this match.
Mueller opened the scoring after only three minutes when Schweinsteiger swung in a free-kick from the left and he escaped the Argentina defence to beat Sergio Romero with a downward header that the keeper got a leg to but could not keep out.
Klose, who also won his 100th cap for Germany, should have made it 2-0 when Mueller broke into the area down the right and squared for him in front of goal. But he fired wastefully over, not that it appeared to matter much at that point.
With Lionel Messi finding it difficult to impose himself on the game thanks to the close attention of Schweinsteiger, Argentina's response was largely limited to shots from distance.
They did improve as half-time approached and Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain both forced Manuel Neuer into low saves, but Germany continued to threaten on the break.
Only after the interval did Argentina manage a spell of sustained pressure, and they threatened almost immediately when Di Maria let fly from outside the box and saw the ball fizz narrowly wide.
For a good 20 minutes, Maradona's men dominated possession and Carlos Tevez had a shot blocked superbly blocked by Per Mertesacker while Germany keeper Neuer was kept busy as shots peppered his goal.
But, after wave after wave of Argentina attacks had been frustrated, Loew's side hit back with a lethal sucker-punch to seal victory with two near-identical goals in quick succession.
First, Podolski burst into the box down the left and squared to give Klose the easiest of tap-ins to make it 2-0, with the striker walking the ball over the line.
Then, with Argentina still rocking, Schweinsteiger weaved his way down the same flank and crossed for Arne Freidrich to bundle the ball in at the near post.
The game was up for the South American side, and neither the jaded Messi on the pitch nor Maradona off it could lift them for any sort of belated response.
Fittingly, the final word went to Klose, who volleyed home Germany's fourth from Mesut Oezil's cross in the last minute - his 14th World Cup goal - after the imperious Schweinsteiger had brought the ball forward again.
Argentina
|
0-4 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-1) | Muller, 3 Klose, 67, 89 Friedrich, 74 |
||
Team |
|||
Argentina
|
Germany
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Germany
Asamoah Gyan penalty fails, Ghana Failed to semifinal after defeated by Uruguay with penalty shoot-out
1:46 PM
Ghana seemed certain to become the first African side to reach the last four of the competition when Luis Suarez saw red after handling on the line in the dying seconds of extra-time.
However, striker Asamoah Gyan, who had already converted two penalties in South Africa, skimmed the crossbar with the last kick of the game.
Gyan showed incredible guts to take the first spot-kick of the shoot-out but John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah both had their low strikes saved by Fernando Muslera.
However, striker Asamoah Gyan, who had already converted two penalties in South Africa, skimmed the crossbar with the last kick of the game.
Gyan showed incredible guts to take the first spot-kick of the shoot-out but John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah both had their low strikes saved by Fernando Muslera.
And Sebsatian Abreu then showed ice-cold composure to dink the decisive penalty beyond Richard Kingson as Uruguay sealed a semi-final tie against the Netherlands.
Suarez's deliberate handball, which came seconds after he had legitimately blocked one goal-bound effort with his knee, was a gamble that paid handsome dividends.
It was a truly remarkable final few minutes, surely some of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and came at the end of an engrossing and occasionally bad-tempered contest.
Both teams enjoyed periods in the ascendancy - and both were guilty of wasting numerous opportunities.
Sulley Muntari, almost kicked out of the squad after criticising coach Milovan Rajevac earlier in the competition, struck a long-range opener on the stroke of half-time, while the impressive Diego Forlan equalised with a free-kick 10 minutes after the restart.
La Celeste controlled the early part of the contest and their early endeavours twice brought them close to scoring but each time they were denied by Kingson.
The first was a reaction save after John Mensah inadvertently deflected a corner towards his own goal and the second an athletic finger-tip effort to deny Suarez, who will be suspended for the semi-final, after the striker capitalised on a slip by Isaac Vorsah.
But the South American side, already without injured defender Diego Godin, lost skipper Diego Lugano to injury towards the end of the first half, his withdrawal coming at a time when the Black Stars had started to find a foothold in the match.
Rajevac's side had offered almost nothing in attack until Vorsah, recalled in defence in place of the suspended Jonathan Mensah, headed wide from a corner just before the half-hour mark.
Gyan then narrowly missed after the industrious Kevin-Prince Boateng picked him out in front of the deep-sitting Uruguay defence with a square ball, while Mutari headed wide after latching on to a raking pass.
Even so, it looked as though the match would be goalless at the break until Muntari, gifted the time to assess his options, unleashed a vicious 40-yard strike that caught Muslera off guard.
Uruguay brought on Nicolas Lodeiro at the break and the game quickly became stretched as Tabarez's team searched for an equaliser.
Edinson Cavani felt he should have been awarded a penalty after he went down under a challenge from Vorsah, but there was no doubt about Forlan's free-kick from a wide angle that drew his team level.
Ghana had repeated opportunities to strike on the counter, but they wasted a series of excellent positions with poor pass selection, while Gyan tangled repeatedly with several different members of the Uruguay defence.
Uruguay created two good chances for Suarez but he could only guide a cross from Forlan into the side-netting at the far post and drill in a strike that Kingson palmed over.
Andres Scotti blocked a shot from Gyan in the first half of extra-time and, minutes before the shoot-out, almost kicked the ball into his own net as he tried to clear it away from the dangerous Ghana striker.
The Black Stars were dominant in the closing minutes of extra-time as their opponents visibly tired and, after Suarez legally denied Steven Appiah and then Adiyiah - illegally - the match took its dramatic final twist.
Suarez's deliberate handball, which came seconds after he had legitimately blocked one goal-bound effort with his knee, was a gamble that paid handsome dividends.
It was a truly remarkable final few minutes, surely some of the most dramatic in World Cup history, and came at the end of an engrossing and occasionally bad-tempered contest.
Both teams enjoyed periods in the ascendancy - and both were guilty of wasting numerous opportunities.
Sulley Muntari, almost kicked out of the squad after criticising coach Milovan Rajevac earlier in the competition, struck a long-range opener on the stroke of half-time, while the impressive Diego Forlan equalised with a free-kick 10 minutes after the restart.
La Celeste controlled the early part of the contest and their early endeavours twice brought them close to scoring but each time they were denied by Kingson.
The first was a reaction save after John Mensah inadvertently deflected a corner towards his own goal and the second an athletic finger-tip effort to deny Suarez, who will be suspended for the semi-final, after the striker capitalised on a slip by Isaac Vorsah.
But the South American side, already without injured defender Diego Godin, lost skipper Diego Lugano to injury towards the end of the first half, his withdrawal coming at a time when the Black Stars had started to find a foothold in the match.
Rajevac's side had offered almost nothing in attack until Vorsah, recalled in defence in place of the suspended Jonathan Mensah, headed wide from a corner just before the half-hour mark.
Gyan then narrowly missed after the industrious Kevin-Prince Boateng picked him out in front of the deep-sitting Uruguay defence with a square ball, while Mutari headed wide after latching on to a raking pass.
Even so, it looked as though the match would be goalless at the break until Muntari, gifted the time to assess his options, unleashed a vicious 40-yard strike that caught Muslera off guard.
Uruguay brought on Nicolas Lodeiro at the break and the game quickly became stretched as Tabarez's team searched for an equaliser.
Edinson Cavani felt he should have been awarded a penalty after he went down under a challenge from Vorsah, but there was no doubt about Forlan's free-kick from a wide angle that drew his team level.
Ghana had repeated opportunities to strike on the counter, but they wasted a series of excellent positions with poor pass selection, while Gyan tangled repeatedly with several different members of the Uruguay defence.
Uruguay created two good chances for Suarez but he could only guide a cross from Forlan into the side-netting at the far post and drill in a strike that Kingson palmed over.
The Black Stars were dominant in the closing minutes of extra-time as their opponents visibly tired and, after Suarez legally denied Steven Appiah and then Adiyiah - illegally - the match took its dramatic final twist.
Uruguay
|
1-1 |
|
FT |
| Forlan, 55 | (HT 0-1) Uruguay win 4-2 on penalties |
Muntari, 45+2 | |
Team |
|||
Uruguay
|
Ghana
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Ghana
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Wesley Sneijder brought Netherlands to the semi-final
12:41 AM
After taking an early lead through Robinho's cool finish, the pre-tournament favourites were pegged back following an awful defensive mix-up early in the second-half and were found wanting in defence again soon afterwards when Wesley Sneijder headed in.
Brazil found themselves in even deeper trouble when Felipe Melo saw red for stamping on Arjen Robben with 17 minutes to go and, although Dunga's side gave everything in a thrilling finale, they crashed out in the quarter-finals for the second successive tournament.
Brazil found themselves in even deeper trouble when Felipe Melo saw red for stamping on Arjen Robben with 17 minutes to go and, although Dunga's side gave everything in a thrilling finale, they crashed out in the quarter-finals for the second successive tournament.
It is the Netherlands who will go forward to play Uruguay or Ghana in the semi-finals and they have blown this World Cup wide open after putting paid to the idea that South American sides were set to dominate in South Africa.
Of the four teams from that continent in the last eight, Brazil were seen as the most likely to progress - and, for the first 45 minutes at least, it appeared they would not have too many problems in doing so.
The Netherlands have won renown for their defensive discipline in the last few weeks but that was nowhere to be seen when Robinho opened the scoring after 10 minutes.
The Dutch back-line had been forced to re-organise before kick-off when Joris Mathijsen was injured in the warm-up, with Andre Ooijer coming in, and he and fellow centre-back John Heitinga left a huge hole for Robinho to run on to Felipe Melo's pass and slot home.
Bert van Marwijk's side, who came into the game on the back of a 23-game unbeaten run, attempted to respond and Dirk Kuyt brought a low save out of Julio Cesar at his near post.
But other than that chance - and a blasted Sneijder free-kick that Julio Cesar also dealt with comfortably - the Netherlands were unable to open up Brazil, who were superbly marshalled at the back by Juan.
Dunga's side were not exactly in full-flow going forward themselves but they would still have been out of sight at half-time had it not been for Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Stekelenburg brilliantly tipped over Kaka's curling shot after a neat move down the left involving Robinho and Luis Fabiano and also got a hand to Maicon's fierce shot after Dani Alves sent him forward on the overlap down the opposite flank.
It seemed Brazil were still in full control but that all changed after the interval when they gifted the Dutch an equaliser that completely changed the course of the game.
Sneijder whipped in a cross from the right after a quick free-kick and Julio Cesar, in trying to punch clear, only succeeded in colliding with Felipe Melo and the ball flicked off his team-mate's head and flew into the net.
Brazil took time to regain their composure but they remained a threat and Kaka came within inches of restoring their lead when he clipped the ball wide after latching on to Ooijer's clumsy clearance.
The Dutch, however, sensed a weakness at the heart of the South Americans' defence and they took full advantage after 68 minutes when another cross caused chaos in the Brazil back-line.
Kuyt flicked on Robben's corner at the near post and Sneijder headed in, sending the army of Oranje fans at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium wild with elation
From being well on top, Dunga's side were now chasing the game and their hopes of rescuing their World Cup were dealt a huge blow when Felipe Melo inexplicably stamped on Robben after conceding a free-kick five minutes later.
Despite being a man down, the five-time champions had no choice but to throw men forward, and left huge gaps at the back in the final few minutes.
The closest Brazil came to saving themselves were a succession of Maicon corners, from one of which Lucio had a goalbound shot deflected wide.
But the Netherlands had several chances to add a third goal in final few minutes too, with Sneijder having a shot saved and Klass Jan Huntelaar hesitating when he had the simple task of teeing up Dirk Kuyt from six yards out.
Of the four teams from that continent in the last eight, Brazil were seen as the most likely to progress - and, for the first 45 minutes at least, it appeared they would not have too many problems in doing so.
The Netherlands have won renown for their defensive discipline in the last few weeks but that was nowhere to be seen when Robinho opened the scoring after 10 minutes.
The Dutch back-line had been forced to re-organise before kick-off when Joris Mathijsen was injured in the warm-up, with Andre Ooijer coming in, and he and fellow centre-back John Heitinga left a huge hole for Robinho to run on to Felipe Melo's pass and slot home.
Bert van Marwijk's side, who came into the game on the back of a 23-game unbeaten run, attempted to respond and Dirk Kuyt brought a low save out of Julio Cesar at his near post.
But other than that chance - and a blasted Sneijder free-kick that Julio Cesar also dealt with comfortably - the Netherlands were unable to open up Brazil, who were superbly marshalled at the back by Juan.
Dunga's side were not exactly in full-flow going forward themselves but they would still have been out of sight at half-time had it not been for Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Stekelenburg brilliantly tipped over Kaka's curling shot after a neat move down the left involving Robinho and Luis Fabiano and also got a hand to Maicon's fierce shot after Dani Alves sent him forward on the overlap down the opposite flank.
It seemed Brazil were still in full control but that all changed after the interval when they gifted the Dutch an equaliser that completely changed the course of the game.
Sneijder whipped in a cross from the right after a quick free-kick and Julio Cesar, in trying to punch clear, only succeeded in colliding with Felipe Melo and the ball flicked off his team-mate's head and flew into the net.
Brazil took time to regain their composure but they remained a threat and Kaka came within inches of restoring their lead when he clipped the ball wide after latching on to Ooijer's clumsy clearance.
The Dutch, however, sensed a weakness at the heart of the South Americans' defence and they took full advantage after 68 minutes when another cross caused chaos in the Brazil back-line.
Kuyt flicked on Robben's corner at the near post and Sneijder headed in, sending the army of Oranje fans at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium wild with elation
From being well on top, Dunga's side were now chasing the game and their hopes of rescuing their World Cup were dealt a huge blow when Felipe Melo inexplicably stamped on Robben after conceding a free-kick five minutes later.
Despite being a man down, the five-time champions had no choice but to throw men forward, and left huge gaps at the back in the final few minutes.
The closest Brazil came to saving themselves were a succession of Maicon corners, from one of which Lucio had a goalbound shot deflected wide.
But the Netherlands had several chances to add a third goal in final few minutes too, with Sneijder having a shot saved and Klass Jan Huntelaar hesitating when he had the simple task of teeing up Dirk Kuyt from six yards out.
Netherlands
|
2-1 |
|
FT |
| Sneijder, 53, 68 | (HT 0-1) | Robinho, 10 | |
Team |
|||
Netherlands
|
Brazil
|
||
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
Brazil
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
